re: ATTN: Elementary/Middle/HS Teachers! Help!

Quoting iamdani:" You girls are absolutely amazing! Thank you so much! 1.Can you please describe your teaching style? ... [snip!] ... to offer a better perspective on your experience as a teacher? 15. Grade you teach and how long you have been teaching for?"

1.Can you please describe your teaching style? This is a hard question. I've been told I'm very personable, and I think that holds true. I try to develop a relationship with each of my students. Children don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
2.What is the greatest challenge for you as a teacher? Discipline, and I think every teacher can agree with me on this. It's always important to be fair, but it's also important to realize that some children simply do not react to discipline, and others completely shut down when they face a punishment. I'm constantly trying to balance what is "fair", and what I know works with an individual student.
3.How do you address this challenge? Trial and error. If something doesn't work, I try something else.
4.What has been your greatest success as a teacher? I don't know if there has been one great success. Instead, I think I've experienced many mini-successes; watching my kids learn and grow is what I consider success.
5.What factors contributed to this success? I think my overall willingness to self reflect. I'm forever asking myself how I can be better.
6.What are the types of resources and support you are given in the classroom? My school is currently under construction, so we are unfortunately a little lacking on technology. I have support from my fellow 5th grade teachers; we share lesson plans and ideas and go over the curriculum together once a week.
7. In what areas would you like more resources and support? Well, I would love a teaching assistant!
8. What impact do you believe these additional resources and added support would have on your teaching and on students’ learning? Many people don't believe intermediate classrooms need assistants, but I think my kids would greatly benefit from having one. If I had a TA, I could utilize him/her in small groups with students who are needing a little extra help. Another adult in the room would help the overall flow of things... no more putting the class on hold because we're one copy short!
9.What effect has the No Child Left Behind Act had on your teaching and your students’ learning? Provide both a positive and a negative example to describe the effect you think it has on classroom life. I have very mixed feelings on NCLB. I understand that teachers need to be held accountable for their students, but I don't think the solution is pink-slipping them. I think the solution is more training, more professional development, and more support from administrators. I also disagree with cutting fundings to schools who do not meet their testing goals; those are the schools who need MORE funding and MORE support!
10. In what area have you improved as a teacher over the course of your career? Creating lessons that actively engage the students.
11. In what area would you like to gain more expertise or develop more skills? Differentiating instruction; students come in at all different levels, and it is difficult meeting them at some common ground.
12. How do you think gaining this expertise or developing this skill would benefit your students’ learning? I could more accurately record progress or regression.
13. How might research in educational psychology, such as theories about how children learn or how the brain functions, influence your approach to teaching? I actually studied child psychology for a year and I think that has helped me be more understanding of why kids do what they do. Children need choices- no one likes to be told what to do "just because." It needs to make sense to the child; the same goes for punishment. I strongly believe in logical consequences. Children need to correlate misbehavior to punishment; pulling a ticket for spitting on someone doesn't teach the child that spitting is wrong. Writing a letter of apology would be both educational and logical.
14. Would you like to add anything to offer a better perspective on your experience as a teacher? It is a hard job... but the most rewarding job I can imagine.
15. Grade you teach and how long you have been teaching for? 5th grade - 1 yr. Previous experience in 3rd grade - 1 yr.


Hope this helps! Can I read your essay when you're done?  

Quoting bbbt:" 1.Can you please describe your teaching style? This is a hard question. I've been told I'm very personable, ... [snip!] ... for? 5th grade - 1 yr. Previous experience in 3rd grade - 1 yr. Hope this helps! Can I read your essay when you're done?  "

I just want to chime in and say that I pretty much agree with everything you said.  

I struggle with classroom management on a daily basis. I try to run a very positive classroom but I have students that just don't seem to follow/care for the routines/procedures/rules of the classroom and it has the ability to effect my ability to teach effectively.

I think that my only HUGE complaint about NCLB is that it rates all children based on this standardized scale instead of their own strengths and weaknesses. Just because a child doesn't test well doesn't mean they aren't learning.

Quoting bbbt:" 1.Can you please describe your teaching style? This is a hard question. I've been told I'm very personable, ... [snip!] ... for? 5th grade - 1 yr. Previous experience in 3rd grade - 1 yr. Hope this helps! Can I read your essay when you're done?  "

Sure!1 Thanks again.. you're a life saver. I've been waiting for this teacher to e-mail me back for a week now.. I know she's busy but ya know! haha. I'm gonna write it tomorrow!

Quoting Emily Dickinson:" I just want to chime in and say that I pretty much agree with everything you said.   I struggle with ... [snip!] ... scale instead of their own strengths and weaknesses. Just because a child doesn't test well doesn't mean they aren't learning."

Management is a battle for even 30 year veteran teachers. What works with one class will not work with another, and you have to completely rethink your discipline plan. It's really just trial and error every day.

And oh yes, I agree with you about the standardized testing. I am a terrible test taker. I get really anxious and forget things I know I know! It isn't an accurate representation of knowledge or intelligence and unfortunately, that is what it's regarded as.

Quoting iamdani:" Sure!1 Thanks again.. you're a life saver. I've been waiting for this teacher to e-mail me back for a week now.. I know she's busy but ya know! haha. I'm gonna write it tomorrow!"

Not a problem, we had a snow day today so I have been relaxing in my PJs all day.  

Quoting bbbt:" Management is a battle for even 30 year veteran teachers. What works with one class will not work with ... [snip!] ... I know! It isn't an accurate representation of knowledge or intelligence and unfortunately, that is what it's regarded as. "

This even applies in preschool! I've been doing it for 7 years and it's still just trial and error!

Quoting bbbt:" Not a problem, we had a snow day today so I have been relaxing in my PJs all day.   "

Oh andd umm what's your name?? Lol.. Ms.. Mrs..?

Quoting iamdani:" Oh andd umm what's your name?? Lol.. Ms.. Mrs..?"

I will PM you!

1.Can you please describe your teaching style?
I have a very different teaching style. At lest it is different than anything I've experienced in most schools. Coming from an alternative school background I try to implement those "different" tactics to pull my students into my lessons. I am a friend too, my students know they can always go to me. So my teaching style is kind of like "I am your friend, I love you like a Mom, and thats why I want you to succeed. That's why I may be hard on you." So, I can be hard on the kiddos that don't do their work but it's just to get them so they know I mean business. But if a kid comes to me and has a problem... even if they didn't do their work I can still love them and guide them so that they know I am there for them more than a teacher as well, but because I'm their teacher I do want them to succeed and go far. I also like to teach "different" material. I don't like giving "regular" class assignments. I like having kids do things such as analyze their favorite songs for poetic meter, rhyme, symbol, etc... I like to teach banned books. I like to teach controversial books. I like to push buttons, my teaching is in NO way "vanilla!"

2.What is the greatest challenge for you as a teacher?
Drawing students into subject matter that they don't care about. Having kids come to class when they don't want to.

3.How do you address this challenge?
Ask them how to make the subject more interesting. If they do my work, what can I do to draw in their own interests? I also text students to make them know I am a part of their lives. So if they skip class, I WILL text them and make them feel bad. I don't do it in a "You are ditching, please get to class" way. I will do it in a way such as "Wow, I thought you would really enjoy this art project we are doing, I am sad that you are missing class today, I hope the important thing you are tending to gets resolved!" And then 10 minutes later they come to class with a sheepish look on their face ;)

4.What has been your greatest success as a teacher?
Seeing kids learn. I always said if I got one "thank you, you changed my life" my work was done. I have had many thank you's... I have had students text me with problems they can't tell their parents. I've had kids cry in my arms. I know that means that I really did my work, and that means SO much to me that no words will ever, ever be able to explain what that truly means.

5.What factors contributed to this success?
Honestly, I was treated like Smurf in school. I had some horrific teachers and those horrible teachers made me want to become a teacher. So I just remember, "How horrible did I feel back then... what did I need?" and then I do it. I had a kid cry and say "I don't understand why things are so hard for me sometimes." And I almost started crying... so I hugged him, sat down, and told him what he was good at and that what he needs work on... that's okay. We will figure it out. I didn't treat him as part of the entire classroom, I treat him and his problems as an individual... that really helped him see that I was there to help him, not put him down for what he doesn't know.

6.What are the types of resources and support you are given in the classroom?
Hmm... I use a LOT of resources found on the internet. A lot of graphic organizers and have a ton of books about how to make fun graphic organizers and projects. I also use a lot of internal creativity. The support I was given at the school I was at was "GO WILD! Do whatever you need to draw them in!" and was never, ever questioned about the subject matter I used. I do try to buy neat teaching books whenever possible and bookmark really neat projects I find online.

7. In what areas would you like more resources and support?
Hmmm... perhaps in meeting the needs of SPED students in class. I would be pretty lost if I ever had a visually impaired student in my class because SO much of what I do relies on visual arts, so I would need help for that.

8. What impact do you believe these additional resources and added support would have on your teaching and on students’ learning?
Well I don't think I need too much help. If I was in a traditional school I may of needed more help in "traditional" grading because of how I do my projects and grading. I don't think I will ever have that problem because I never want to be in that straight of a school. Non-traditional all the way!

9.What effect has the No Child Left Behind Act had on your teaching and your students’ learning? Provide both a positive and a negative example to describe the effect you think it has on classroom life.
Negative? STANDARDIZED TESTING. I hate hate hate "teaching to the test" and try NOT to do it. I hate TCAP week when I have to prepare them and do mundane bullcrap for a fill in the bubble test. It is NOT a way to grade students and I think the entire mentality of testing students is a negative example of "What have they learned?" Positive... well it can provide funding for some schools. But... it provides funding to help schools but cuts it off when they really need help the most. It makes no sense. It gives even more funding to schools that have all the money they need... so it's tricky. We need funding for all schools and let schools have creative mind with regard to teaching... I guarantee that more money in creative arts in ALL subjects, proper music and arts programs, and honestly, LESS emphasis on sports will help students in the long run. Sports are good, but ya know what? Teaching kids to express themselves through art and music help the mind and body so much more.

10. In what area have you improved as a teacher over the course of your career?
I've learned to not be so shy. I was so incredibly shy before and it hindered me getting close to students. Now... I can "be weird" and know that it draws my kiddos in!

11. In what area would you like to gain more expertise or develop more skills?
Grammar. Teaching grammar is hard, honestly. So is teaching kiddos how to really write from their hearts. More linguistics training too.

12. How do you think gaining this expertise or developing this skill would benefit your students’ learning?
Both benefit them in being a stronger writing and to have the ability to write concisely but with passion. Linguistics helps me teach kids how to write correctly and why our language is the way it is. It's very helpful with non-native English speakers.

13. How might research in educational psychology, such as theories about how children learn or how the brain functions, influence your approach to teaching?
I research that as it is. I think EVERY teacher needs to research different theories and how to implement a variety of theories of learning in order to adequately teach the entire community they have presented to them.

14. Would you like to add anything to offer a better perspective on your experience as a teacher?
I love teaching... that's all I know. I love my kids as if they are my own. I think if you don't love your kids and don't love your craft... get out. Because at the end of the day if your kids know you have heart and soul then they are going to be more apt to WANT to learn... even if it's yucky grammar! Teachers need to not be afraid to get close to their students AND their families. Kids are more apt to want to go to your class if they know you love them and want them to succeed and know their parents. I don't mean you need to know them and say "Hey ABC didn't attend class today!" Don't rat on them. Know their families so you can say "I know that ABC has been a little off because of your Mom dying, but she is really doing great and I think she will be up to speed in no time. Let me know if I can help you guys out in any way!" I have talked to my kids parents because they know I really love and care for their kids, so if I go off and have coffee with a kid it isn't to have an inappropriate relation... it's to help them clear their head and try to help them out. I talk to the parents to know whats going on in their lives and see how I can help them and their kids.

15. Grade you teach and how long you have been teaching for?
I teach middle and high school (the program I was in was 7-12th graders mixed in classes). Been teaching a year. I've had teaching practice through internships for 4 1/2 years.

Quoting FroggysMommy:" 1.Can you please describe your teaching style? I have a very different teaching style. At lest it is ... [snip!] ... in was 7-12th graders mixed in classes). Been teaching a year. I've had teaching practice through internships for 4 1/2 years."

Thank you   

Quoting iamdani:" Thank you   "

You are welcome... I love my kiddos, I miss them terribly. I randomly got a text from a kid I missed the other day though so that was nice